Starbucks shares up 6% after earnings beat expectations

David Ryder/Reuters
(Reuters) - Starbucks said on Thursday sales at its coffee shops in the Americas region grew more than expected, calming concerns about cooling growth and sending shares up 4.4 percent in after-hours trading.

Sales at Starbucks shops open at least 13 months were up 7 percent in the Americas region for the fiscal second quarter that ended March 29. Analysts polled by Consensus Metrix expected a rise of 5.1 percent.

Quarterly same-store sales included a 2 percent rise in traffic. Starbucks' Americas region contributes the majority of company revenue.

Customer visits to Starbucks' Americas-region cafes have decelerated in the last year and a half, causing some investors and analysts to worry that the company's increased focus on food had slowed service.

Same-store sales were up 5 percent in the Americas region in the first quarter that ended Dec. 28. That included a 2 percent increase in traffic, which was an acceleration from the 1 percent gain posted in the prior quarter.

Shares in Starbucks were up as much as $2.97, or 6%, to $52.40 following the report.